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Additional Pages 



FROM 



An American Cruiser 
in the East 



BY 



JOHN D. FORD 

FLEET ENGINEER OF THE PACIFIC STATION 
UNITED STATES NAVY 



Supplementing Lieutenant Ford's very interesting book entitled 
"An American Cruiser in the East." These pages give an 
account of the passage of the forts at Corregidore, the naval battle of 
Cavite, and subsequent operations in the Manila waters since May i. 
It is to be remembered that Manila is old, and everything there is 
old, and we must regard it as an old curiosity shop. What shall be 
done with the Philippine Islands now that the United States is in 
physical possession, forms an important subject of this new chapter 
by Mr. Ford. 

Should you make extracts, please give credit to " An American 
Cruiser in the East," by Chief Engineer John D. Ford, i vol., 536 
pages, i2mo, cloth, 150 illustrations. Price, ^2.50. 



Copyright, 1898, by 

A. S. BARNES & CO., New York, N.Y. 



ins 5oT 



Source uaknovn 



Appendix II 



MORE ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES 

THE Philippines lie between 5 and 22 degrees of north 
latitude and 117 and 127 degrees of east longitude, 
about six hundred and thirty miles from the coast of China, 
with the China Sea washing their western shores and the 
Pacific Ocean dashing its spray against the green-crowned 
rocks and upon the beaches of their eastern coasts. 

A glance at a map of the world will show the distance 
from San Francisco to Hawaii to be about two thousand 
miles, from Hawaii to the Caroline Islands about as much 
more, and from the Carolines to the Philippines it is about 
the same, making the whole distance from San Francisco 
to the Philippines a little more than seven thousand miles, 
through summer seas and delightful breezes, on almost the 
identical track that was traversed by the old Spanish gal- 
leons in their journeys between Mexico and the Philippines 
during the first three hundred years after the settlement 
of the Philippines by the Spaniards. It must be remem- 
bered that all communication between Spain and the 
islands was kept up by way of Mexico until 18 18, when 
Mexico freed herself from Spanish rule. 

The Philippines are not on the direct course of the regu- 
lar mail lines which ply along the coast of China, and are 
seldom visited by tourists, and thus their natural beauties 
have not been seen and enjoyed to the extent that most 
other lands have been. Their delightful climate has not 



47^ An American Cruiser in the East 

been known ; and the quaint old city of Manila has not 
been much explored nor its beauties enjoyed or appreciated, 
even by many who think they have seen the world. 

The Philippines consist of some one thousand islands, 
islets, and rocks, which contain 52,500 square miles of as 
varied and beautiful scenery and fertile lands as can be found 
under the sun. The climate is a perpetual summer, where 
the thermometer ranges between 60° and 90°, and there are 
three well-marked seasons of the year, — the first cold and 
dry, lasting from November to March ; when it becomes 
warm, but is still dry, until June ; when the wet season 
begins, and lasts until November. The land is clothed with 
a rich verdure that is interspersed with beautiful flowers and 
trees throughout the year. The numerous mountains, dark 
valleys and lowlands, waterfalls, cascades, bays, and streams 
make it an ideal home for the lounger or health-seeker; 
and the gentle breezes which spring up at the setting of 
the sun give strength and life. Almost every form of life 
thrives here, while about eight millions of inhabitants enjoy 
its bounty and beauties. 

The principal islands are Luzon, Panay, Negros, Cebu, 
Saman, Mindanao, and Levte. Manila, on the island of 
Luzon, Cebu, on the island of Cebu, Ilo Ilo, on the island 
of Panay, and Zamboango, on Mindanao, are the open 
ports for foreign trade ; but the regulations and restrictions 
are almost prohibitive, except at Manila, where there is 
more liberality, but many obstructions and hindrances to 
commerce exist even there. If these regulations were 
properly modified and intelligently administered, these would 
become thriving cities of vast proportions, for they are sur- 
rounded by countries that are proverbially fertile, rich in 
mineral deposits, and teeming with a native population that 
is eager to have restrictions to their industry removed. 

The Spaniards have been in possession of the coast of the 
islands for more than three hundred years; but the natives 



Appendix 47 1 

in the foot-hills and on the high lands have never been 
brought into subjection to them, as they have aWays resisted 
and waged fierce war against their would-be masters. 

The Spaniards found the islands settled by a brown race, 
supposed to be descended from Malays, whose ancestors 
settled here many centuries ago, and who had reached a high 
state of civilization before their advent. The people of the 
northern islands, including Luzon, are called " Togalogs ; " 
those of the middle islands, " Visayas ; " and the southern, 
" Sulus." The Togalogs are of medium stature, copper- 
colored, inclining to brown, with pleasant features, black 
eyes, small, well-formed nose, large mouth, small and deli- 
cate hands and feet, coarse black hair, and scant beard. 
They have generous instincts, and are the most civilized 
and hospitable of all these people. The Visayas, who in- 
habit the southern middle islands, are descended from the 
Togalogs amalgamated with the Mussulmans of the far 
South, and are less civilized, having brutish instincts. 
Negros was peopled by criminals who fled from Luzon and 
its neighboring islands, and are the lowest order of people 
on the islands. They were a lawless set until about fifty 
years ago, when they committed some terrible atrocities, 
and extraordinary means were used to subdue them, and 
they were brought under subjection. 

These races ha\e always had great antipathy for each 
other, and the people of each despise those of the others to 
this day. The people of Sulu and the tribes in the southern 
middle islands — Basilin, Balibac, Paragua, and Mindanao — 
reject all authority except that of their own chiefs and the 
protectorate of the Sultan of Sulu. They are believers in 
Mahomet, and are impatient at all overtures to change their 
religion. It is believed that the sultanate was founded, about 
eight hundred years ago, by Mussulmans from India and 
China. The present capital of the sultan is at Mayburn. 

Early in the fifteenth century, Hernando de Maghallans, 



4/2 An American Cruiser in the East 

a Portuguese nobleman of good education, disgusted with 
the treatment which he received in his own country, abjured 
Portugal, and became a Spanish subject. The King of Spain 
received him kindly, and on August lo, 15 19, under the 
patronage of Charles I. of Spain, and with the blessing of 
the Pope, he set sail from San Lucae de Banameda on a 
voyage of discovery, with the ships, "La Trinidad," "San 
Antonio," "Victoria," "Santiago," and " Concepcion." 

On December 13, 15 19, he arrived at Rio Janeiro, and 
from there followed the coast line of South America in 
search of an opening into the Pacific Ocean. After many 
hardships, incident to mutinies amongst some of his follow- 
ers, the rigor of the climate, and lack of fresh provisions and 
water, on October 28, 1520, he beheld for the first time 
the open water which connects the Atlantic and Pacific 
Oceans, — the strait which now bears his name, — and 
vindicated the prognostications of Columbus that a water 
route must exist from Europe to the far East by way of the 
west. On November 26, 1520, he found himself on the 
broad Pacific, and boldly stood to the northward and west- 
ward ; and on March 16, 152 1, he reached the Ladrone 
Islands, and sailed along the north coast of Mindanao. 
During Easter week of the same year he arrived at the en- 
trance to the Butuano River, where the first mass in the 
Philippines was celebrated. The natives were curious, 
friendly, and hospitable; and to show his appreciation of 
them, he took formal possession of their country in the 
name of his royal master, Charles I. The Butuano king 
guided Maghallans' fleet to the fertile island of Cebu, where 
they arrived on April 7, and built a rude church in which 
to house their sacred vessels and celebrate the sacraments. 
The natives at Cebu were at war with the people of the 
island of Magton ; and on April 25, 1521, Maghallans went 
over to Magton to assist in an attack upon them, when he 
was mortally wounded by a poisoned arrow. Thus perished 



Appendix 473 

the man who had added lustre to the Spanish flag and the 
" Pearls of the Orient " to Spain's domain. 

In 1570, Miguel de Legaspi fitted out an expedition in 
Mexico and sailed for the Philippines, where he completed 
the annexation of all the islands to the throne of Castile. 
While at Cebu, Legaspi heard wonderful stories of a native 
city further up the coast, called Maynila, whose people did 
a great trade with the Chinese. In 157 1, he went up to 
see the wonderful place ; and as his mission was to grab 
everything valuable, he negotiated with the King of Maynila, 
and soon made the king accept the protection of the King 
of Castile. Legaspi was so pleased with the city and its 
surroundings that he declared Maynila to be the capital of 
the Philippines, and Cebu was handed over to the ecclesias- 
tical authority. 

From time immemorial the Chinese have been coming to 
Maynila in junks laden with silks and the rich wares of 
Canton and Amoy, which they bartered to the natives ; and 
in later years, when the government at Maynila became 
more stable, the Chinese began to locate there and inter- 
marry with the natives. They soon became so numerous 
that a portion of the city was designated for their residence. 
Several times the Chinese have been in unsuccessful rebel- 
lion against the Spanish authority. The population of 
Manila is now about 350,000, of which number 60,000 
are Chinese and 10,000 Chinese half-castes; and there are 
about 40,000 Chinese and Chinese half-castes in the islands 
outside of Manila. 

The Togalog, Visaya, Moro, and Chinese languages and 
some thirty dialects of them are spoken by the people on 
the islands, but Spanish is the official language. 

The Philippine Islander is a very matter-of-fact person ; 
there is very little of the dreamer about him. He sleeps in 
the middle of the day in a shady place, but is wide awake 
and enterprising at all other times. He is a reasoning 



474 ^^^ American Cruiser in the East 

creature, who is always asking the why of everything. He 
loves to be free, — free as the night breezes of his own 
Philippines; but circumstances make him restless and a 
wanderer. He is easily managed by honest treatment. He 
loves to follow a brave leader, but despises a coward. He 
is as sensitive as a woman, as brave as a lion, and makes a 
fine soldier or sailor. If he realizes that he has done wrongs, 
he will make any reparation in his power ; but if he feels 
that he has been wronged, he will follow his enemv to the 
furthermost part of the earth for his revenge. This accounts 
for the wonderfully brave fight he is now making against 
his Spanish foes. Their motto has been, "The end justi- 
fies the means ; " and the Philippine Islander believes them 
to have been the authors of all his woes. Owing to his 
inability to comprehend a religion of love when administered 
by torture and by force, he has become insincere, and it has 
made no further impression upon his mind than that due to 
its outward observance. He promises all things, but may 
perform none ; his moral sense has been blunted bv the 
tyrannical acts of his masters, and a lie is no sin to him. He 
needs to be grasped by the hand, and to have whispered into 
his ear the magic words, " My brother," instead of being 
brained with a brazen crucifix by a " relic of the Inquisi- 
tion," or throttled with a Spanish bayonet. He will make 
a good, loyal subject or citizen under a just and honest 
government, which is his ideal and hope ; but he is now 
restless and impatient under oppression. 

The Friars have been the actual rulers of the Philippines 
since 1517, when they commenced to convert the heathens 
of these islands. The Augustinian, Dominican, Franciscan, 
and Recoleto Orders have always had the civil and military 
to do their bidding, and there have always been jealousies 
and contentions between them, which have been closely 
watched by the natives, whose disgust of the foreign yoke 
has been greatly increased thereby. There have been fierce 



Appendix 475 

and bfttimes bloody contests between the Friars and the 
governors, in which the latter have almost always been the 
losers. Any governor-general who displeases the monks is 
recalled. General Despujolo had to leave in 1892, after 
only eight months of office, because he did not please the 
priests, and General Blanco was recalled at their instigation. 

Foreman writes : — 

" There has been much discontent amongst the secular 
native priests because the monks insisted upon holding the 
incumbencies, notwithstanding the rules of their own orders 
and the decree of the Council of Trent, which forbade it. 
The Friars nipped this native ambition by instigating a revolt 
of the troops at Cavite and charging the plot to the native 
priests. In 1872 four native priests were publicly executed 
for it, and it was declared that native priests were incompe- 
tent to hold incumbencies. Several of the best families of 
Manila were banished and robbed of their property at the 
same time. 

" There are about six hundred and twenty parishes in 
Manila, of which the Friars unlawfully hold about ninety- 
five per cent. A Spanish parish priest is above all civil 
law; he cannot sue or be sued. He is independent of all 
state authority, and meddles in every affair of the town- 
ship by recognized right ; if he cannot have things go his 
way, he singles out his opponent for revenge, and always 
obtains it. 

" I remember meeting the expedition sent North from 
Manila in 1 881, to reduce men who have never been brought 
under subjection. It was a total failure, but the general was 
rewarded with the title of ' Conde de la Union,' and a ' Te 
Deum ' was chanted in the capital in thanksgiving for 
imaginary victories. The theory which soothed the con- 
sciences of the first military leaders was that the soul must 
either be prepared for salvation in the living man, or the 
body must be annihilated. For generation after generation 



476 An American Cruiser in the East 

raids were repeatedly made on the natives for the crime of 
passive resistance to what they could not comprehend. 
With the crv of ' Viva^Castilla ! ' bands of Spanish soldiers 
opened the way with blood for the monks to enter into the 
breach and palliate th^ wound with silvery phrases to the 
terror-stricken converts. The cry of ' Castilla ' has come 
to represent everything that is terrible beyond all hope of 
mercy. 'Castilla' in the north, and 'Cochila' in the south 
mean the same, and it is common to hear mothers frighten 
their children into good behavior and quietness with the 
dread word, ' Castilla.' " 

From 15 1 7, when Legaspi took possession of Manila, 
until 1 8 19, when Mexico threw off the Spanish yoke, these 
beautiful islands were virtually dependencies of Mexico, 
and during all these years there was no direct communica- 
tion between them and Spain except through Mexico. 

There has always been a struggle between the merchants 
of the Philippines and the home country for liberty to trade 
freely with Mexico and China, — their natural markets, — 
but the Spanish king and his advisers always restricted this 
trade as much as possible, as they were anxious to retain 
the Mexican markets for the merchants of Spain. Their 
theory seemed to be that Philippine goods must be paid for 
in Mexican dollars, which would partially close the Mexi- 
can markets to the merchants of Spain, and, at the same 
time, supply the Philippines with Mexican dollars with 
which to purchase the rich silks and fabrics of China, for 
their own use and for trade with Mexico. 

The arrival of a junk from China or a galleon from 
Mexico was an event in the annals of Manila. The traders 
would swarm about her in their out-rigger canoes, the news 
would be published, friends greeted, strangers scanned, the 
wonderful goods displayed, or the rough kegs of Mexican 
dollars would be sent on shore, while the noise of gongs, 
tom-toms, and beating drums would be deafening behind 



Appendix 477 

the eyes of the junk ; or the dignified friar would offer his 
thanks for a safe arrival at the little oratory under the ban- 
ner of his far-away Castilla. 

In 1572, Li iVla Han landed at Manila with about two 
thousand Chinese, but he was defeated and driven out by 
the Spaniards and natives, under Juan de Solcedo, In 1606 
five ships of the Netherlands blockaded the islands, but they 
were finally destroyed by the Spanish fleet. In 1762, Ma- 
nila was taken by the British, but was ceded back to Spain 
in 1764 for a ransom of one million pounds sterling, which 
was never paid. 

The public revenue is about fifteen million dollars per 
annum, of which the larger part is raised from direct taxes, 
customs, and monopolies, and this could easily be doubled 
by a liberal system. 

No matter what the result of the Spanish-American war 
may be, it would be one of the blackest crimes of history 
to hand these native people back to Spain, or to give them 
up to any monarchical government. They have always 
wanted liberty, and have fought the Spaniards for it on 
many a hotly contested field since 1522. All they ask is 
a chance for life, liberty, and the pursuits of happiness, and 
they care not whether it be a republic of their own, or some 
form devised for them by the great United States of North 
America. 

When Dewey fired his first shell on the first of May, 
it proclaimed liberty throughout these island seas and bays, 
and echoed back liberty as it struck down the " Reina 
,Cristina" and the Spanish fleet, since which time the 
natives have been 

" Coming from the hill-tops 
Coming from the plains, 
Shouting the battle-cry of freedom " 

These people need steamships of from one hundred to 
five hundred tons to trade amongst the islands ; they need 



4/8 An American Cruiser in the East 

steamships of from three thousand to five thousand tons to 
trade with the United States and other parts of the world; 
they need railways, locomotives, and cars for internal traffic; 
and they need thin dress-goods, all sorts of thin white goods, 
insertions and laces, black and white prints of thin cotton, 
silk and woollen goods, thin-woven and knit goods, fancy 
and staple hardware, tin ware, groceries, canned goods and 
flour, steam-engines, pumps, sugar-mills, agricultural im- 
plements, furniture, books and stationery, and our public- 
school system. They can pay for these with sugar, tobacco, 
hemp, camphor, rice (which are produced in great quanti- 
ties), coal, gold, and many varieties of beautiful hard woods. 
Why should our people not have this trade ? 



Appendix III 



NAVAL BATTLE OF CAVITE 

U. S. S. "Baltimore," 
Off Cavite, Manila Bay, July lo, 1898. 

A PAGE has been written in Spanish-American history 
in Asiatic waters. Two of the proudest nations on 
earth have met in conflict, in their terrible steel monsters, 
and the conclusion was short, sharp, and decisive. The 
Spanish fleet was annihilated, and the starry banner floats 
over the conquered bay. 

On the 25th of March, 1898, the U. S. S. " Baltimore " 
left Honolulu, H. I., with ammunition for the fleet in Asiatic 
waters, and arrived at Yokohama, Japan, on the loth of 
April, where she was filled up with coal and other stores ; 
on the 15th she left Yokohama, and arrived at Hong-kong, 
China, on the 22d, where she was docked, cleaned, and 
painted, changing the white of peace for the smoke-color 
of war. She was filled up with coal, and a beginning was 
made to strip the vessel for the horrible work that might be 
before her. 

"Our British Cousins" at Hong-kong notified us to 
leave their port, as they objected to our making any prepa- 
rations for war in their waters, and the following Proclama- 
tion of Neutrality was issued by the acting Governor of 
the Colony : — 

** Whereas, the Right Honorable Joseph Chamberlain, Her 
Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, has in- 
formed the Government of this Colonv that war has unhappily 



480 An American Cruiser in the East 

broken out between the Kingdom of Spain and the United States of 
America, and has communicated Her Majesty's commands, that all 
of her subjects shall observe a strict neutrality in and during the 
said war, and shall abstain from violating or contravening either the 
laws and statutes of the realm in their behalf, or the laws of nations 
in relation thereto, as they will answer to the contrary at their 
peril." 

Then follow extracts from the Act, which passed in the 
thirty-third and thirty-fourth year of Her Majesty's reign, 
and is intituled "An Act to regulate the conduct of Her 
Majesty's subjects during the existence of hostilities between 
foreign states with which Her Majesty is at peace," the 
subjects dealt with being illegal enlistments, illegal ship- 
building, and illegal expeditions. 

On the 25th of April the fleet moved out to Mir's Bay 
(which is on the Chinese coast, a short distance from Hong- 
kong), where it anchored the same afternoon. On the 
afternoon of the 27th, Mr. Williams, the U. S. Consul 
to Manila, who had left Manila a few days before and 
had taken refuge in Hong-kong, took up quarters on the 
U. S. S. " Baltimore," and brought us a copy of the procla- 
mation of the Governor-General of the Philippines. This 
is extremely interesting in view of later events, and reads 
as follows : — 

Extraordinary Proclamation 
OF THE Governor-General of the Philippine Islands 

Spaniards : 

Between Spain and the United States of North America hostili- 
ties have broken out. 

The moment has arrived to prove to the world that we possess 
the spirit to conquer those who, pretending to be loyal friends, take 
advantage of our misfortunes and abuse our hospitalitv, using means 
which civilized nations count unworthy and disreputable. 

The North American people, constituted of all the social 
excrescences, have exhausted our patience and provoked war 



Appendix 483 



with their perfidious machinations, with their acts of treachery, 
with their outrages against the law of nations and international 
conventions. 

The struggle will be short and decisive. The God of victories 
will give us one as brilliant and complete as the righteousness 
of our cause demands. Spain, which counts upon the sympathies 
of all the nations, will emerge triumphantly from this new test, 
humiliating and blasting the adventurers from those states that, 
without cohesion and without a history, offer to humanity only 
infamous traditions and the ungrateful spectacle of Chambers in 
which appear united insolence and defamation, cowardice and 
cynicism. 

A squadron manned by foreigners, possessing neither instruction 
nor discipline, is preparing to come to this archipelago with the 
ruffianly intention of robbing us of all that means life, honor, and 
liberty. Pretending to be inspired by a courage of which they are 
incapable, the North American seamen undertake as an enterprise 
capable of realization the substitution of Protestantism for the 
Catholic religion you profess, to treat you as tribes refractory to 
civilization, to take possession of your riches as if they were un- 
acquainted with the rights of property, and to kidnap those per- 
sons whom they consider useful to man their ships, or to be 
exploited in agriculture or industrial labor. 

Vain designs ! Ridiculous boastings ! Your indomitable bravery 
will suffice to frustrate the attempt to carry them into realization. 
You will not allow the faith you profess to be made a mock of, 
impious hands to be placed on the temple of the true God, the 
images you adore to be thrown down by unbelief. The aggressors 
shall not profane the tombs of your fathers ; they shall not gratify 
their lustful passions at the cost of your wives' and daughters' 
honor, or appropriate the property your industry has accumulated 
as a provision for your old age. 

No ! they shall not perpetrate any of the crimes inspired by 
their wickedness and covetousness, because your valor and patriot- 
ism will suffice to punish and abase the people that, professing to 
be civilized and cultivated, have exterminated the natives of North 
America instead of bringing to them the life of civilization and 
progress. 



484 An American Cruiser in the East 

Philipinos ! prepare for the struggle, and, united under the 
glorious Spanish flag, which is ever covered with laurels, let us fight 
with the conviction that victory will crown our efforts, and to the 
calls of our enemies let us oppose, with the decision of the Christian 
and patriot, the cry " Viva Espana ! " 

Your General, 
(Signed) Basalio Agustin Davilla, 

Manila, April 23, 1898. 



At 2.15 P.M., on April 27, the fleet was formed in line 
in the following order, — flagship "Olympia," " Baltimore," 
" Raleigh," " Petrel," " Concord," and " Boston," with 
the revenue steamer " McCuUoch " and the transports 
" Nanshan " and " Zafiro " on the off side of the war ves- 
sels, — and started for the entrance to Manila Bay. Soon 
after dark the commanding oflicers were called to the flag- 
ship, and when they returned the following telegram was 
published : — 

Dewey, — Hostilities have commenced ; begin operations in 
the Philippines ; capture or destroy the Spanish fleet. — Long. 

On the afternoon of April 30, the " Baltimore " fired the 
first gun of the war in the Eastern hemisphere. The "Con- 
cord " and the " Boston " were making a reconnoissance 
in Subig Bay under the protection of the " Baltimore," 
when a schooner flying the Spanish flag was made out on 
the opposite side of the entrance to the bay. The " Bal- 
timore " fired a shot across the schooner's bow from one 
of her small guns, when the astonished skipper hauled down 
his sails and hove to. A boarding party from the " Balti- 
more " brought the skipper and four of his men on board, 
where they were examined and permitted to leave, as they 
did not even know that a state of war was existing between 
Spain and the United States. When the three vessels 



Appendix 485 

rejoined the fleet, about dark, the commanding officers 
reported on board the flagship, and when they returned, 
the ships' companies were informed that the forts at the 
entrance to Manila Bay were to be passed that night. 

The fleet steamed along slowly, under a beautiful 
moonlight that was now bright, or now hidden by fleecy 
clouds; and at 10.30 "Battle Stations" was sounded for 
action, when officers and men jumped to their places as the 
Star^Spangled Banner was set at each mast-head and on 
each side of the after rigging. Soon we were to the south 
of Corregidor, the Gibraltar of the Philippines, and after 
the flagship " Olympia," the "Baltimore," and the " Ra- 
leigh " were well headed up the channel, the batteries of 
Restinga, or Fraile, and on Corregidor opened their fire 
upon us. The moon had sunk low, but was yet above the 
horizon. Hissing shells chased each other over us, or fell 
short, as we steamed slowly on, and only returned the fire 
when we thought we could locate a flash, as we were re- 
serving our ammunition for bigger game in the morning. 
In about two hours the entire fleet had slowly passed the 
batteries, had passed over the torpedoes and the mines un- 
harmed, and was heading for Cavite, the Spanish naval 
station, which is about twelve miles below Manila. By 
the time we were well inside of the bay, the moon had set, 
and we were in darkness, only relieved by the twinkling 
stars which showed us the way as we timed our speed so 
as to reach Cavite at early dawn. 

The scenes on board the "Baltimore" were novel and 
strange, even to a sailor's eye. The bulkheads had been 
torn away from the officers' quarters and given into old 
Neptune's keeping, and temporary hangings and curtains 
were improvised to screen the inmates from public gaze. 
Men of the gun's crews watched by turns, and slept about 
the decks, belted and ready; the men of the powder division 
slept, spoon fashion, upon the hard deck of the ward-room ; 



486 An American Cruiser in the East 

and some were in uniform, but many were begrimed and 
stripped to the waist for the past and the coming fray. 

Below, in the depths of the vessel, the firemen toiled be- 
fore the great boiler fires, where intense heat and weird flames 
gave the place the appearance of a hell, and they looked 
like begrimed imps of very darkness, dancing and panto- 
miming, as they worked their fires, or threw on more fuel; 
and the engineers and machinists watched and handled the 
great engines of the smoke-colored monster that was carry- 
ing horrible war up the peaceful bay on this beautiful first 
May morn. 

At 5.05 in the morning, which was calm, clear, and as 
beautiful as any that has ever smiled upon the Philippines, 
the flagship made signal : " Prepare for general action." 
The "Baltimore" had been ready all night, and the men 
and officers jumped to their guns and stations, the click of 
the breach-plug could be heard as others manned the am- 
munition hoists, while a few poor firemen who had been 
let out of their hot holes to get a few lifegi\'ing breaths of 
the fresh morning air, rushed down to their infernal-like 
compartments about their fires, and the marines mustered 
about the after eight-inch guns, all ready for the fray. 
Our vessels steamed very slowly, in the same order in 
which they had passed the forts at Corregidor, except 
that the " McCuUoch " lay off in the bay with the two 
transports. 

At 5.15 a challenge shot was fired at the head of our 
column by one of the batteries on Point Cavite, which was 
immediately followed by the Spanish vessels "• Castilla " 
and " Don Antonio de Ulloa " using their port batteries, as 
they were moored bow and stern off Point Cavite. The 
flagship " Reina Cristina," a protected cruiser with a 
main battery of six 5.2 inch guns, the cruisers " Isla de 
Cuba," "Tsla de Luzon," and the " Don Juan de Austria," 
and the gunboat " Isla de Mindanao," were under steam, 



Appendix 487 

and occasionally retired behind Point Cavite, — no doubt 
trying to lead us in over their torpedoes, which were be- 
lieved to be planted in the entrance and bay. The gunboats 
" General Lezo," " Marques del Duero," " El Correo," 
and another one were inside the basin behind Point Cavite, 
from whence they could fire upon us without our being 
able to see just where they were. 

Our vessels steamed in column up past the forts and 
fleet, turning and passing down again, making five long 
loops during the first engagement, our range varying from 
five thousand to twenty-five hundred yards, which could not 
be shortened on account of the shallow water. 

Early in the fight, a torpedo boat was gallantly dashed 
out from Point Cavite at high speed, evidently intending to 
torpedo the flagship or the " Baltimore;" but the secondary 
batteries of those vessels were handled with such precision, 
skill, and rapidity that the boat was hastily turned and 
headed for the shore, when a well-directed eight-inch shell 
from the "Baltimore " soon finished her. Still the cruel 
work went on, each vessel of each fleet taking every advan- 
tage possible to destroy its adversary. During the entire 
engagement there was no breeze, and the dense black smoke 
from the funnels hung like a pall about the slow-moving 
vessels, and for more than two mortal hours the carnage 
reigned. Shot and shell flew through the air from the ves- 
sels of both fleets and the shore batteries ; huge tongues of 
black-red flame licked into the dense smoke, and the quick, 
sharp crack of the rifle, the thunder roar of the enemy's 
guns, the hissing of flying shells, the prayers, the moans, 
and the curses of the wounded and the dying, and the lusty 
cheers for a successful shot, all mingled and went up with 
the great smoke-crowned columns of flame, as vessel after 
vessel was fired, and finally exploded and sank, making a 
scene of wreck and death that could only be produced by 
cruel war. 



488 An American Cruiser in the East 

At 7.35 the signal was made by our flagship: "With- 
draw from action." 

The Spanish flagship " Reina Cristina," Admiral Mon- 
tojo commanding the station, was set on fire early in the 
action, but continued steaming and fighting until we with- 
drew, when she burst into flames all over and soon blew 
up. The Spanish admiral was slightly wounded, and her 
commander and 136 others were killed. One of our 
officers, who watched an eight-inch shell enter her side and 
explode, says, " It looked like a barrel of hell-fire going 
into her." One other vessel was set on fire during the 
interval between actions, and three of the Spanish gun- 
boats withdrew behind Cavite Point, and kept up their fire 
from under its cover. 

During the first action our fire was wholly directed at 
the enemy's ships, and their forts were ignored. 

At 10.40 the signal was made to " Form column on the 
flagship." At this time the "Baltimore" was steaming 
full speed after a suspicious vessel sighted in the bay. 
Then the signal was made to form column on the " Balti- 
more." The " Baltimore " signalled : " Strange vessel is 
flying the British flag." "Olympia" then made signal: 
" Destroy enemy's fortifications and batteries." The " Bal- 
timore " alone steamed up to within twenty-five hundred 
yards of the forts, and for about thirty minutes poured in 
broadsides with wonderful precision and terrible execution, 
making her bow and stern almost dance, to the extent that 
our engineers thought perhaps she was amongst torpedoes. 
Later, the other vessels of the fleet came up and co- 
operated in the destruction of the forts. 

The little "Petrel," followed by the " Boston " and the 
"Concord," and later by the remainder of the fleet, steamed 
past Point Cavite, and in toward shore, destroying shipping 
and the remaining guns in the fort. When this was done 



Appendix 489 

she was sent inside to follow the enemy up, soon after 
which the enemy hoisted the white flag. 

The " Concord " started after a large Spanish transport, 
the " Isia de Mindanao," which was supposed to have mu- 
nitions of war, and which had been firing upon us during 
the morning. The "Concord" sent a shot across her bow, 
which was unheeded ; then she sent a six-inch shell into 
her, setting her on fire. The transport still endeavored to 
escape, but the "Olympia" headed her off^, and sent an 
eight-inch shell through her, when she burst into flames 
and was run aground, where she soon blew up. The saucy 
little " Petrel " went in amongst eight vessels and brought 
off five torpedo boats in tow. 

On the afternoon of May 2, the " Raleigh " and the 
*' Baltimore " went down to Corregidor and demanded 
the surrender of the forts. The commandant was a little 
obstinate ; but when informed that his forts were to be 
destroyed whether he surrendered or not, and that " the 
demand to surrender was in the interest of humanity and 
to save bloodshed," he made an unconditional surrender, 
and his three hundred and eighty officers and men were 
paroled ; whereupon the " Raleigh " and the " Baltimore " 
returned to the fleet. 

Corregidor, Cavite, with its vast shops and stores, and 
the bay are ours in two days ; and we have a home in the 
far East if we choose to hold it. Manila means the Philip- 
pines, but we must await the arrival of troops to hold it. 

The Spanish made a splendid fight for their country and 
their king. They poured out their blood like water, and 
freely gave their lives to their duty. More than one half 
of the men engaged were either killed or wounded. Their 
greatest loss was in their engine departments, where in 
some cases the entire force went down with the ship. 
Yankee pluck and Western daring were too much for their 
brave foes. Not one of the Spanish ships hauled down 



49 o An American Cruiser in the East 

their colors, every one of them being either sunk or aban- 
doned with colors flying. The Spanish loss was 480 killed 
and 520 wounded, while the American loss was but eight 
slightly wounded, all of the " Baltimore." 

The Spanish fortifications were as follows : — 

Forts and Batteries at the Entrance to Manila Bay. 
Punta Gorda Battery. 
Lasisi Point Battery. 
Corregidor Forts and Batteries. 
Pulo Caballo Island Battery. 
El Fraile Rock Battery. 
Restinga Point Battery. 

Forts at Cavite. 
Canocao Battery. 
Sangley Point Batterv. 

Forts at Manila. 
Luna Fort, — ten-inch Krupp Guns. 
Walls of the old city, twelve feet thick, and strengthened 
with three thicknesses of bags of sand laid lengthwise. 
The lighthouse fort at the mouth of the Pasig River. 

Spanish Vessels at Cavite., May /, i8g8. 
Admiral Montojo. 

Guns. Commander. 

Reina Cristina (flagship), 21 L. Cardosa. (Burned.) 

Castilla, 22 A. M. de Oliva. (Sunk.) 

Don Antonio de Ulloa, 13 E. Robion. (Sunk.) 

Isla de Cuba, 10 J. Sidrach. (Sunk.) 

Isla de Luzon, 10 J. L. Human. (Sunk.) 

Don Juan de Austria, 13 J. de la Concha. (Burned.) 

El Correo, 7 F. Escudera. (Burned.) 



Appendix 



491 



Guns. 

6 



Commander. 

F. Benovento. 
S. M. Guerra. 
J. M. Estanga, 



General Lezo, 

Marques del Duero, 5 

Villa Lobas, 4 

Unknown Gunboat, 

Manila (transport), 2 J. Ozamiz. 

General Alova, 

Rapido, 

Hercules, 

Ilo Ilo, 

Isla de Mindanao (armed transport). 



(Burned.) 

(Burned.) 

(Burned.) 

(Burned.) 

(Captured.) 

(Captured.) 

(Captured.) 

(Captured.) 

(Captured.) 

(Burned.) 



United States Vessels at Cavite^ May 7, 1808. 
Commodore George Dewey, U. S. N., Commanding. 









Guns. 


Commander. 


Olympia (flj 


igsh 


ip), 


14 


C. V. Gridley, 


Baltimore, 






10 


N. M. Dyer. 


Raleigh, 






II 


J. B. Coghlan 


Boston, 






8 


Frank Wildes. 


Concord, 






6 


Asa Walker. 


Petrel, 






4 


E. P. Wood. 



On the 20th of May, Aguinaldo, the native insurgent 
leader, with members of his staff, arrived at Cavite, and 
immediately began to assemble his followers ; since which 
time these brave people have captured nearly all the Spanish 
strongholds in the province of Cavite, taken thousands of 
prisoners, and armed themselves by their captures. They 
have worked their way to the outposts of Manila and 
control all the country about it. 

On the 30th of June, U. S. transports, convoyed by the 
U. S. cruisers " Charleston " and " Baltimore," arrived in 
the bay with the first instalment of U. S. soldiers for the 
occupation of Manila and the Philippines. They were 
composed of a battalion of the Fourteenth Regular Infantry, 



492 An American Cruiser in the East 

the Third Oregon Infantry, the First California Infantry, 
and a detachment of CaHfornia Heavy Artillery, all under 
the command of Brigadier-General Anderson, U. S, Army. 
The troops were speedily landed at the Cavite Arsenal, 
and quartered in the Spanish barracks just outside of the 
Arsenal. 

Aguinaldo's native forces moved into old Cavite, the 
adjoining towns, and closer to Manila, to make room tor 
our troops, who soon fraternized with their native aux- 
iliaries. The natives regard our people as their liberators 
from Spanish cruelty and oppression, and do everything in 
their power to help on the good cause. 

The following Spanish account of the naval battle of 
Cavite, taken from the " Diario de Manila" of May 4, 
1898, is interesting : — 

A Naval Surprise 
When the enemv's squadron was sighted in perfect line 
of battle through the clouds of a misty dawn on the morn- 
ing of the first of Mav, gloom and surprise were general 
among the people of Manila. At last these ships had 
strained their boldness to the point of appearing on our 
coast and defying our batteries, which showed more courage 
and valor than efi^ect when they opened fire on the squadron. 
It needs something more than courage to make projectiles 
penetrate — indeed, it does ! 

Every Man to his Station 
The inequality of our batteries when compared with 
those of the squadron which alarmed the inhabitants of 
Manila at five in the morning was enough to transform the 
tranquil character of our tropical temperaments. 

While ladies and children in carriages or on foot fled in 
fright to seek refuge in the outlving suburbs and adjacent 



Appendix 493 

villages around the capital, from danger multiplied by their 
imagination, every man, from the stately personage to the 
most humble workman, merchants and mechanics, Span- 
iards and natives, soldiers and civilians, — all, we repeat, 
sought their stations and put on their arms, confident that 
never should the enemy land in iManila unless he passed 
over their corpses. Yet from the first moment the strength 
of the enemy's armor and the power of his guns demon- 
strated that his ships were invulnerable to our energies and 
armaments ; the hostile squadron would never have entered 
our bay had not its surety been guaranteed by its manifest 
superiority. 

Spectators and Observers 

The city walls, the church towers, the roofs of high 
buildings, and all high places convenient for observation 
were occupied by those who were not retained by their 
military duties within the walls, on the bridges, or at the 
advanced posts. The slightest details of the enemy's ships 
were eagerly noted as they advanced towards Cavite in a 
line parallel with the beaches of Manila, as though they 
had just come out of the Pasig River. There were no 
gaps in the line, but the curious public hardly realized the 
disparity between their great guns and the pieces mounted 
on our fortifications. Some had glasses and others were 
without, but all seemed to devour with their eyes these 
strangers who, while brave, were not called upon to show 
their courage, since the range of their guns and the weak- 
ness of our batteries enabled them to preserve their impu- 
nity, while doing as much harm as they pleased. 

Remarks of the People 

All who appreciated the impunity with which the hostile 

ships manoeuvred, as if on a harmless parade, were full of 

such rage and desperation as belongs to the brave man 

who can make no use of his courage ; to whom remains no 



494 ^^^ American Cruiser in the East 

remedy except an honorable death rather than a cowardly 
inactivity. 

A soldier of the First Battalion of Cazadores gazed at 
the squadron sweeping over the waters out of reach of the 
fire of our batteries, looked out and at the ships, then toward 
heaven, saying, " If Holv Mary would turn that sea into 
land, the Yankees would find out how we can charge in 
double time," And a crouching native staring out at the 
ships said, " Just let them come ashore and give us a whack 
at them." 

On they stood at full speed in column of battle, heading 
for Cavite with the decision due to a sense of safety and a 
firm assurance of success. 

The Fight seen from Manila 
For more than an hour and a half the bombardment held 
in suspense those whose souls followed the unequal struggle, 
in which the Spanish ships went down with their glorious 
banners flying. 

What was going on in the waters of Cavite ? From 
Manila we saw, through glasses, the two squadrons almost 
mingled together in the clouds of smoke. This was not 
far from a triumph for our side, considering the weakness 
of our batteries. For once alongside the enemy, the cry 
of "Boarders Away!" and the flash of cold steel might 
have enabled our devoted seamen to disturb the calm in 
which watches and instruments were regulated and direct- 
ing those engines of destruction. In the blindness of our 
rage how should we paint the heroic deeds, the prowess, 
the waves of valor which burst forth from our men-of-war? 
Those who fought beneath the Spanish flag bore themselves 
like men, as chosen sons of our native land, who never 
measure forces, nor yield to superior force in the hands of 
an enemy; who would rather die without ships than live in 
ships which have surrendered. 



Appendix 495 

To name those who distinguished themselves in battle 
would require the publication of the entire muster-rolls of 
our ships, from captain to cabin-boy. To these victorious 
seamen of ours we offer congratulations ; laurels for the 
living ; prayers for the dead ; for all, our deepest gratitude. 

Since we cannot reconstruct the bloody scene which was 
exhibited last Sunday in the waters of Cavite, we will not 
attempt a description, which would only be a pale shadow 
of great deeds deserving a perpetual place in the pages of 
history. 

When the hostile squadron turned toward Cavite, the 
crew of the steamer ^ Isla de Mindanao " heard the drums 
beating to quarters, and answered with enthusiasm, three 
rounds of cheers for the King, for the Queen, and for Spain, 
which echoed along our line. 

Later, until a quarter to five, absolute silence reigned. 
Everything was ready. The idea of death was lost in 
ardor for the fray, and every eve was fixed on the battle- 
flags waving at our mastheads. In perfect and majestic 
order — why should we deny this? — the nine Yankee 
ships advanced in battle-array. The " Olympia," bearing 
the admiral's flag, led the column, followed by the other 
ships, steering at full speed towards Cavite. The " 01\'m- 
pia" opened fire, and an instant reply came from the battery 
on the mole, which kept on firing at five-minute inter- 
vals, while the iron-clad shaped her course for the " Reina 
Cristina " and " Castilla." Into both these ships she 
poured a steady and rapid fire, seconded by the ships which 
followed in her wake. Another ship which directed a 
heavy fire on our line was the " Baltimore ; " and so the 
cannonade went on until a quarter to eight. At that moment 
the " Don Juan de Austria " advanced against the enemy, 
intending to board the " Olvmpia," and if a tremendous 
broadside had not stopped her self-devoted charge, both 
ships would perhaps have sunk to the bottom. 



49^ An American Cruiser in the East 

The captain of the " Reina Cristina," seeing that the 
resolute attempt of his consort had failed, advanced at full 
speed until within two hundred yards of the " Olympia," 
aiming to attack her. Then a shower of projectiles swept 
the bridge and decks, filling the ship with dead and wounded. 

Heroes and martyrs whom the nation will remember as 
long as it endures ! 

A dense column of smoke from the bow-compartment 
showed that an incendiary projectile, such as the law of 
God and man prohibits, had set fire to the cruiser. The 
ship, still keeping up her fire on the enemy, withdrew toward 
the arsenal, where she was sunk to keep her from falling 
into the hands of the Yankees. 

The desperation of the men of the " Reina Cristina " 
was aggravated by the sight of the " Castilla " also in a 
blaze, from a similar use of incendiary projectiles. 

The principal ships of our little squadron having thus 
been put out of action, the Yankee vessels, some of them 
badly crippled by the fire of our ships, and the batteries at 
Point Sangley, stood out toward Mariveles and the entrance 
of the bay, ceasing their fire and occupying themselves in 
repairing injuries until ten o'clock, v/hen they began a 
second attack to complete their work of destruction. 

In this second assault the fire at the arsenal was ex- 
tinguished, and they continued to cannonade the blazing 
gunboats. 

One gunboat, which seemed to have nothing more 
venturesome to undertake, detached herself from the 
squadron and set to work to riddle the mail steamer 
" Isla de Mindanao." 

Now that the ships were in flames, the admiral, Senor 
Montojo, who had shown his flag as long as there was a 
vessel afloat, landed, and hostilities ceased. 

The only Spanish ship which had not been destroyed by 



Appendix 497 

fire or by the enemy's projectiles, sunk herself so that she 
could in no wise be taken. 

Such, in broad outlines, which we cannot correct at this 
moment, was the naval battle of Cavite, in which the last 
glimpse of our squadron showed the Spanish flag. 

A thousand sensational details have reached us, which 
we would reproduce gladly, after the necessary corrections, 
if our pen would serve for anything except to sing the 
glory of these martyrs of the nation. 

Perhaps to-morrow or another day, with fuller knowledge 
of the facts, we can furnish our readers with many inter- 
esting details. To-day we limit ourselves to a sketch of 
the grand picture which was unrolled before us on the first 
of May, begging our friends to excuse the defects which 
they may note. 

The Killed and Wounded 
Killed : The Captain, Chaplain, Clerk, and Boatswain of 

the " Reina Cristina." 
Wounded: The Captains of the " Castilla " and "Don 
Antonio de Ulloa." 
The Executive Officer of the "Reina Cristina." 
A Lieutenant of the " Don Juan de Austria." 
The Paymaster of the " Ulloa," the second Sur- 
geon of the " Cristina," the Surgeon of the 
" Ulloa," and Chief Engineers of the " Cris- 
tina" and " Austria." 

Vigilance 
By naval authority the most careful watch was kept In 
the river as well as on the coast, to secure the defence of 
the port. 

Batteries 

The gunners of the batteries defending Manila and Cavite 
showed the highest degree of energy and heroism. Every 

3-: 



49 



8 An American Cruiser in the East 



one applauds the brave artillerymen who, by their calmness 
and skill, did all that was possible with the guns assigned 
to them, allowing for their deficiencies and imperfections. 

The battery that did most harm to the enemy was the 
one on Point Sangley made up of Hontoria guns. From 
one of these guns came the shot which the " Boston " re- 
ceived, while four ships which had altogether sixty-five guns 
were pouring their fires on this battery to reduce it to 
silence. One gun having been crippled, the other kept on 
playing, firing whenever damage could be done and avoiding 
waste of ammunition. 

To one of its shots is attributed the hurt which turned 
the " Baltimore " from the fight. This gun must have 
greatly annoyed the Yankees, to judge by the efforts they 
made to silence its fires, following it up until six gunners 
had been killed and four wounded. 

On this account it is proposed to demand the bestowal 
ot the laurel-wreathed cross of San Fernando to the valiant 
gunners who ser\'ed this battery. 

The Luenta batterv at Manila, which assailed the Yankee 
ships with much vigor, was the object of the enemy's special 
attention as he stood past the fortifications of Manila, head- 
ing for Cavite. 

Guns were also mounted at the entrance of the bay on 
Corregidor and Caballo Islands, on El Fraile rock, on the 
south shore at Point Restinga and at Mariveles, Punta 
Gorda, and Point Lasisi on the north shore. The guns 
on Corregidor Island were of about six-inch calibre ; similar 
guns were mounted on the rock and on Point Restinga. 
The other batteries had guns of smaller calibre and short 
range. 

Kind Treatment 

The Spanish Club, ever earnest in remedying misfortune, 
gave liberal help to the refugees who survived from our 
ships of war. 



Appendix 499 

Bread and Water 

Doubtless the Civil Commission has arranged to secure 
supplies tor the city, but it is certain since Sunday there has 
been great scarcity of everything, and speculators ha\'e 
got what prices they cared to ask for articles of prime 
necessity. 

Already people are growing calmer, and the shops are 
open, and it is to be expected that Manila will go on 
resuming her usual lite and animation. 

The Country responds 
The great masses of the rural population of the Philip- 
pines, as well as the leaders of the nation, have responded 
like loyal sons of Spain, sharing our pains and assisting in 
our labors. 

Telegram 

The admiral, Seiior Montojo, has received a telegram 
of congratulation from the Minister of Marine, who, in his 
own name, and in the name of the Oueen of Spain, felici- 
tates the navy of this archipelago for gallant behavior on 
the day of Cavite. These are the terms of the telegram 
referred to : " Honor and glory to the Spanish Fleet which 
fought so heroically in the bav." 

No Papers 
After two davs of silence, in which our paper failed to 
see the light, bv reason of exceptional circumstances oc- 
curring in Manila, and well known to all the public, we 
return to our regular issues, trusting in the good-will of our 
subscribers. 



Appendix IV 



THE CAPTURE OF MANILA AND THE PHILIPPINES BY 
THE COMBINED SEA AND LAND FORCES OF THE 
UNITED STATES, AUGUST I3, 1 898 

U. S. S. " Baltimore," Manila, 
August 18, 1898. 

As soon as the Spanish fleet had been annihilated, the 
insurgents began to assemble about Cavite, and on May 20, 
General Aguinaldo and staff arrived from Hong-kong, and 
began operations against the Spaniards on the land side. 
The people of the neighboring provinces were soon under 
arms, and the investment of Manila was begun. Captures 
of small detachments of Spanish troops were of almost daily- 
occurrence, and the arms and ammunition captured in this 
way supplied the insurgents with the means of continuing 
the warfare. Many of the insurgents were armed with 
machetes, spears, axes, or bows and arrows, and their com- 
missary was of the poorest kind, — a handful or two of rice, 
a few eggs, and an occasional fowl, which were contributed 
by friends of their cause, was about the extent of it ; and 
on this fare they made long weary marches, built earthworks, 
burrowed trenches, and fought a hand-to-hand fight with 
their enemy, right up to the Malate fort and magazine. 

The insurgents soon had the neighboring provinces in 
their possession, and invested Manila on the land side, and 
a struggle for the possession of the magazine and Fort 
Malate went on day and night with varying success. 



Appendix 501 

On June 30, transports arrived from San Francisco, 
under convoy of the U. S. S." Charleston," bringing Brio-- 
adier-General Anderson and about four thousand troops, 
who were landed at Cavite Arsenal, the insurgent forces 
moving out of old Cavite to make room for the Americans. 
On July 16 and 17, the second detachment of United States 
troops arrived. These were landed, some at Cavite and 
others at Tambo, and the men of the first detachment 
were moved up from Cavite Arsenal to Tambo, where they 
encamped under the guns of the U. S.S. " Raleigh." 

The insurgents held many meetings in the church at 
old Cavite, and on July i, General Aguinaldo proclaimed 
the Republic of the Philippines with the following declara- 
tion : — 

1. The independence of the Philippines shall be proclaimed. 

2. A republic shall be established with a government designated 
by General Aguinaldo, and approved by the admiral and general 
commanding the United States forces. 

3. The Government will recognize the temporary intervention 
of Commissioners designated for the present by the United States. 

4. The American Protectorate shall be recognized on the same 
conditions as arranged for Cuba. 

5. The Philippine ports shall be opened free for the universal 
commerce of the world. 

6. Precautionary measures shall be adopted against Chinese im- 
migration, so as to regulate the competition with the work of the 
natives. 

7. The corrupt judicial svstem at present existing shall be re- 
formed, intrusting at the commencement the administration of justice 
to competent European legal officials. 

8. The complete liberty of association, as likewise that of the 
press, shall be declared. 

9. There shall be a general religious toleration, but measures 
shall be adopted for the abolition and expulsion of the religious 
communities who with an iron hand have hitherto demoralized the 
actual civil administration. 



502 An American Cruiser in the East 

10. Measures conducive to the working, development, and pros- 
pects of the natural resources of the country shall be adopted. 

1 1 . The development of the public wealth shall be facilitated, 
together with the opening up of roads and railways. 

I 2. The existing obstacles to the forming of commercial enter- 
prises and investment of foreign capital shall be suppressed. 

13. The new Government will keep the public order, and will 
be obliged to prevent every act of reprisal against the Spaniards. 

14. The Spanish official element shall be removed to some other 
safe and healthy island until the opportunity is presented for them 
to return to Spain. 

On July 25, Major-General Wesley Merritt arrived on 
the transport " Newport " and assumed command of the 
United States land forces. The United States troops were 
advanced from Tambo to Pasai, and during the week of 
August 6 they were advanced to the trenches which had 
been made by the insurgents within a few hundred yards 
of the magazine and Fort Malate. The new-comers were 
as disagreeable to the Spaniards as were the men who dug 
the trenches ; so the Americans were assaulted on the last 
three nights of the same week, with the result that some 
thirty of the Americans were killed and a larger number 
were wounded, which seemed to be cold-blooded murder, 
as such work could not be decisive of the final result, and 
could not be called war. 

On Sunday, August 7, General Merritt and Admiral 
Dewey sent a joint note to the Governor-General, as 
follows : — 

Manila Bav, August 7, 1898. 

To the General-in-C/iief, commanding the Spanish Forces in Manila ; 

Sir, — We have the honor to notify your Excellency that the 
operations of the land and naval forces of the United States against 
the defences of Manila mav begin at any time after the expiration 
of forty-eight hours from the hour of receipt bv you of this com- 
munication, or sooner if made necessary bv an attack on your part. 



Appendix 503 

This notice is given to afford you an opportunity to remove all 
non-combatants from the city. 

Very respectfully, 

(Signed) Wesley Merritt, 

Major-General, U. S. A., comiiiandi)ig Larid 
Forces of the United States. 

(Signed) George Dewey, 

Rear-Admiral, U. S. N., commanding U. S. 
Naval Forces in Asiatic Station. 

To which the Governor-General replied : — 

Manila, August 7, 1898 
To the Major-General of the Army and the Rear- Admiral of the Na'ual 
Forces of the United States : 

Gentlemen, — I have the honor to inform your Excellencies 
that at half-past twelve o'clock I received the notice with which 
you favored me, that after forty -eight hours have elapsed you may 
begin operations against this fortified city, or at an earlier hour if 
the forces under your command are attacked by mine. 

As your notice is sent for the purpose of providing for the safety 
of non-combatants, 1 give thanks to your Excellencies for the humane 
sentiments you have shown, and state that, finding myself surrounded 
by insurrectionary forces, I am without a place of refuge for the 
increased number of wounded, sick, women, and children who are 
now within the walls. 

Respectfully, and kissing the hand of your Excellencies, 

(Signed) Fermin Jaudenes, 

Governor-General and Captain-General 
of the Philippines. 

Our troops were not molested after this correspondence. 

A parley began, and at half-past eight on Saturday morn- 
ing, after a heavy down-pour of rain, the vessels of our 
fleet, — flagship " Olympia," "Baltimore," " xMonterey," 
" Raleigh," " Charleston," " Boston," " Petrel," " Callao " 
(captured Spanish gunboat), and the "Olympia's" steam 
tender, — with colors set at each masthead and with ships* 



504 An American Cruiser in the East 

companies at battle stations, began to form in battle order. 
While we were forming, the band of the British flagship 
" Immortalite " played the "Star-Spangled Banner," after 
which the " Immortalite " and the "Iphigenia" went over 
and took positions, one at each end of the line of the 
foreign men-of-war. The Japanese war vessels remained 
ofF Cavite. 

The "Olympia," "Raleigh," " Petrel," " Callao," and 
the " Olympia's " steam tender headed slowly toward Fort 
Malate, while the " Monterey " went close in to the front 
of the city to draw the enemy's fire, and the " Baltimore," 
" Charleston," and " Boston " acted as a reserve division, 
and the " Concord " remained near the Pasig River. At 
half-past nine, it still being thick and raining, the " Olym- 
pia," " Raleigh, " Petrel," " Callao," and the " Olympia's " 
steam tender opened fire upon Fort Malate, and by five 
minutes past eleven the guns of that fort were silenced. 
Then the left wing of our army, under the command of 
Brigadier-General Green, rushed out of their trenches and 
made a dash for the fort. After a hand-to-hand encounter, 
which lasted for some minutes, the enemy stubbornly fell 
back, disputing every inch of the ground, as our troops ad- 
vanced. The little " Callao " kept ahead, and threw shells 
into the enemy's lines to clear the way for our troops as 
they advanced along the beach and through the streets of 
Malate (a suburb of Manila). The Luneta fort was found 
to be evacuated ; when our men turned by it and returned 
to the beach, fighting their way up to the gates of the old 
walled city. In the mean time the " Monterey" patrolled 
the entire water-front, and the other vessels of the fleet 
proceeded along very slowly, so as to have our troops, at all 
times, well under the protection of our guns. 

At the same time the right wing of the army, under 
command of Brigadier-General MacArthur, advanced along 
the roads further removed from the water-front and fought 



Appendix 505 

its way to the gates of the old city. Then the steam launch 
of the Belgian Consul, which had been following our fleet 
during the action, took a representative of General Merritt 
from the army flagship '<• Zafiro " and a representative of 
Admiral Dewey from the " Olympia " into the old city of 
Manila, under a flag of truce, where they demanded the 
surrender of the Philippines. At half-past two in the after- 
noon the preliminary terms of surrender had been agreed 
upon, and the launch returned, and at nine minutes past 
five the United States flag replaced the Spanish flag on the 
plaza of the old city. The guns of each ship thundered 
forth twenty-one guns, the Spaniards ceased to rule the 
Philippines, and Major-General Wesley Merritt of the United 
States Army became the first American governor, and took 
up his headquarters in the palace of the Spanish royal 
governor in the old city. 

Thirty soldiers were killed and seventy wounded in the 
battle, and it is supposed that the enemy's loss was about 
eight hundred killed and wounded. 

Incidents. 

Not a man of the fleet was injured in the battle. 

It is believed that this last defence of Manila was made by the 
native troops who remained loyal to Spain, as the Spaniards were 
not anxious to renew their experiences of the first of May with us. 

While the artillery of the right wing of the army was advancing, 
the Astor battery made a sharp turn in the road when they found 
themselves ambushed under a galling fire, and the situation was 
such that they could not swing their guns around to use them ; so 
they jumped from their guns, and with sabre and revolver in hand 
dashed at the enemy in the bush. In a few moments the regulars 
were in the melee, and the Spaniards fell back, but still kept up a 
hot fire with their rifles. 

The Spaniards had scattered "block" "log" houses, with loop- 
holes for small arms, about the country to command the roads of 
approach to Manila. At block house No. 14 there was a hotly 



506 An American Cruiser in the East 

contested light for some minutes, where several were killed and 
many were wounded on both sides. 

Just as the Philippines were surrendered to us, the Spaniards 
celebrated the event by burning one of their gunboats and scuttling 
another, besides several smaller craft, just inside the entrance to the 
Pasig River. The Spaniards were warned against doing any more 
work of this kind ; and when it was explained to them that they 
would not look very dignified when dangling at the end of a piece of 
Manila rope, they took the hint, and there were no more acts of 
vandalism. The Spanish troops were all disarmed and paroled ; 
their officers being allowed to keep their side arms, which they 
continued to wear about the town while puffing cigarette smoke and 
explaining how it happened. 

When the sun had set behind the western horizon, and darkness 
had fallen over land and sea, the German flagship " Kaiserin 
Augusta" steamed out of the bay with the late Governor-General 
Agustin and family on board, and conveyed them to Hong-kong. 

Sunday was a quiet day, and most of the vessels having refugees 
on board returned to the mouth of the Pasig. Father Dougherty, 
of General Merritt's staff, celebrated mass in the cathedral to an 
immense congregation. While the service lasted, it was well ; but 
when he made his address in the English language, there was con- 
sternation amongst the vast throng. 

On Monday morning the British flagship " Immortalite " 
steamed over from her place in the foreign iieet, hoisted the Ameri- 
can flag at her masthead, and saluted it with twenty-one guns, 
while her band played the " Star-Spangled Banner " and " Yankee 
Doodle." She then took a new anchorage near our fleet, and was 
soon joined by her consort, the "Iphigenia." The English seemed 
as much pleased over the victorv as our own people. 

The Civic Guard, loyal natives, are policing the city under our 
control, and the custom-house and post-office are practically operated 
by the people who were in charge under Spanish rule ; everything 
goes on as usual, and the business of the city is being rapidly 
resumed. Some of the women show a spiteful feeling against us, 
but that will soon disappear, — at least, in the open manifestation. 

The city is very short of provisions and goods of all kinds 
Horses, mules, and water-bufi^alo were used for food ; and vegeta- 



Appendix 507 

bles and fruits have been almost unknown for more than a month, — 
ever since the insurgents invested the city. 

There is very little friction, no more than would be expected 
in getting an army of thousands of men settled in a captured city 
and the islands in working order. The insurgents have retired 
from this neighborhood. 

At noon on August i6 an English steamer came in to the fleet 
with news that hostilities had ceased. 



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